Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-07-16

IA idI sc pOuy VI ACPsOCOuoooiNS
farmers of Virginia met at Char
lottesville, Va, July 4, for organ
ization and the discussion of their
interests. AS the same questions
are Of the same interest to the farm
ers of every state, We take part Of
the report from the Valley Virginiaas,
and feel sure many of our readers
will study it with interest and bene-
fit:-
CAPT. ]. F. SLAUGHTER
commenced by depicting the de.
pressed condition of the farming in
terests of the State. Year by year,
he said, the farmers SEQ their lands
depreciating, prices OF their pro-
ducts reduced, their Numbers de.
pleted by emigration, and their in
terests, as a class, surely. yet swiftly,
drifting towards bankruptcy. About
Them on every hand the evidences
of these facts are manifest; they see
them, realize them, and yet make
no inquiry into the causes, no effort
to regain the lost ground, nor even
hold their own. The soil is kindly,
the climate not surpassed by any
the sun shines on, natures rich
dowry is spread out ON every side,
the population is industrious and
hard working, and yet with all OF
these advantages. the farmers con-
slider themselves lucky if the result
of the years work does not find them
in debt. Why does this condition
exist ? The reason is plain. Peo-
pie refuse to buy the land, and the
flower of our young manhood seeks
another field for it's labor, simply be-
cause the agricultural interests are
Disseminated against in the use of
the ways and means which their
money has provided to place their
products in the market eentres.-
The railroads have been purchas-
ed by foreign capitalists, and are
run in the interest of their owners
instead of for the benefit of the peo-
pie. Take the Norfolk & Western
r. r., which is but an illustration of
the system. That road could be
built for $4,000, and yet it has a
fixed debt of over 100000. per mile.
The new debt was created and the
bonds issued for the purpose of put
ting money into the pockets of the
holders thereof. In this way the
piling up of the debt has meant the
amassing of fortunes. How? Be.
cause the holders of the bonds thus
issued declare that they must charge
such freight rates as will meet the
interest on their fictitious invest
ments. Necessarily this must come
out of the farmer, so that instead of
paying the interest on $25,000 they
ale compelled to meet it on sum
double that amount. What is the
remedy There is "a remedy, sure
and effective. 1t has been tried and
found to work out beneficial results.
1t has passed the ordeal of the
courts after the bitterest fights. and
received the sanction of the highest
judicial tribunal. That remedy is
the Georgia Railroad law, and !
earnestly urge the farmers of Vir.
ginia not to halt or hold off until a
duplicate of that law is on the sta.
tute books of Virginia. Under its
operation in Georgia the freight
rates have decreased 335 per cent,
whilst the roads have been enabled
to declare an annual dividend of
from II to Is per cent. The effects
of the operation of the law are seen
in the revival of prosperity in the
agricultural communities, the in.
crease of the value of lands, aud a
return to the farmer commensurate
with bis efforts.
Texas has also passed a somewhat
similar law, and the tremendous i'm.
migration to that State is largely
due to this source. These two States
have made wonderful strides during
the past decade, and one Of tue
principal causes of the revival is the
assurance they have issued that the
profits of the farm should not be
absorbed in the marketing Of the
products. In neither case have the
railroad companies suffered, al
though it was declared that the
adoption of the law would carry
with it the ruinatiOn of the trans
portation lines. This is shown, not
only in the dividends declared, but
in the extension of lines, the Goa
struction of new roads, and the i'm
provement of equipment.
Here in Virginia our farmers pay
no attention to material interests
Year after year they send their rep
resentatives to Richmond, and when
they reach the capitol their sole
ambition seems to he, not how can
we serve the people, and what laws
may be enacted for their benefit
| Int how can we maintain our marty